Childhood trauma exposure and reward processing in healthy adults: A functional neuroimaging study

The association between childhood trauma exposure and risk of developing psychopathology may in part be mediated by the effects of chronic stress on dopaminergic neurotransmission. However, little is known about the differential effects of distinct trauma types on reward processing, particularly in adults without concurrent medical or psychiatric disorders. We examined the association of childhood trauma exposure, including the differential effects of abuse and neglect, with reward processing in healthy adults (n = 114). Functional magnetic resonance imaging during a monetary incentive delay task was used to assess neural activity in the ventral striatum and orbitofrontal cortex in relation to reward anticipation and reward outcome, respectively. Exposure to childhood trauma, including abuse and neglect, was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form. We found a significant effect for abuse on ventral striatal activation during reward anticipation, adjusting for age, sex, scanner site, educational level, and household monthly income. There were no effects for abuse or neglect, independently or combined, on orbitofrontal cortex activation during reward outcome. Our findings suggest differential effects of childhood abuse on ventral striatum activation during reward anticipation in healthy adults.